Type bar mechanism for typewriting machines



Aug. 24, 1948. w s I 2,447,885

TYPE BAR MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES Filed Dec. 4, 1944 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0 ll 7- 1 /5 5/ l v 3' 12 f I ofl '10- if /W J? I .32 LJ 542 INVENTOR ELMER L.W|SE

ATTORNEY E. L. WISE TYPE MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES Filed Dec. 4, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ELMER L. WISE ATTORNEY patented Aug. 24,1943

TYPE BAR MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES Elmer L. Wise, Bridgeport, Conn, assignor to Underwood Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application December 4, 1944, Serial No. 566,425

Claims.

1 This invention relates to typewriting machines and more particularly to machines in which the type bar mechanism comprises a type head shiftably mounted on the outer end of a type bar and carrying two different types arranged to be brought alternatively into operative position by the shifting of the type head. The invention is illustrated in this application as embodied in a typewriting machine of the Elliott Fisher type having a flat platen.

In Elliott Fisher typewriting machines of the usual construction, certain of the type bars are provided with type heads pivotally mounted respectively on the outer ends of the type bars and each having two types fixed to the head and arranged to be brought alternatively into position to make a type impression on th work sheet sup ported on the platen, by the shifting of the head from one position to another on the type bar. In such type bar mechanisms the head is locked in one position and is yieldingly held in the other position upon the type bar by means of a leaf spring, the free endofwhich is arranged to engage the opposite sides of a projection or tail on the head. In shifting from the first position to the other, the head engaging end of the lea-f spring is first moved back away from the axis of pivotal movement of the head out of locking position with relation to the tail thereof and the head is then swung on its axis to shift the same 4 to the second position. During this movement of the head, the tail is carried past the free end of the spring and the spring thereafter swings back toward the axis of the head. These leaf springs are made of highly tempered steel and a a great deal of trouble is occasioned by the breaking of the springs. A rather elaborate construction, requiring considerable labor and time to apply, has been employed to hold the springs securely on the type bars, The springs and the holding mechanism therefore have been comparatively expensive to manufacture and to apply to a machine and the cost of the spring mechanism has added considerably to the cost of the machine.

One object of the present invention is to improve the construction and mode of operation of type bar mechanisms of the character above described for typewriting machines and to provide a novel and improved mechanism for holding the shiftable type heads in either of their working positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide typewriting mechanisms of the class in which shiftable type heads are mounted on the respective type bars, with means for holding the type heads in either of their working positions, which is much less subject to breakage andmay be manufactured and applied to the machines at considerable less cost than prior constructions.

With above and other objects in view the invention consists in a type bar mechanism embodying the novel and improved features, constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the advantages of which will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The several features of the invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention in its preferred form and the following detailed description of the constructions therein shown.

In the drawings--- Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section illustrating certain parts of a typewriting machine Of the Elliott Fisher type provided with a type bar mechanism embodying the present invention,

Figure 2 is a detail view in side elevation, with certain parts in section, illustrating a single type bar and certain associated parts of the machine and showing in full lines, the type bar in retracted position, and in dot and dash lines, the type bar in three other positions,

Figure 3 is a view in rear elevation partly broken away, illustrating the single type bar mechanism shown in Figure 2, with the type bar in retracted position, and

Figure 4 is a detail view in side elevation on an enlarged scale illustrating certain parts of the mechanism shown in Figure 2.

The invention is illustrated in this application as embodied in a typewriting machine of the E1- liott Fisher type such as that illustrated and de scribed in the patent to Oscar J. Sundstrand, No. 2,239,023, dated April 22, 1941.

The machine illustrated comprises the usual platen frame, not shown, in which is mounted for vertical movement the substantially flat platen 2. A line space frame, also not shown, is mounted for forward and rearward movement upon rails formed upon the side bars of the platen frame. The line space frame is provided with front and rear rails upon which is mounted, for movement in letter-spacing direction and return, a type carriage indicated at 4 supporting the type bar mechanisms. For a full and complete disclosure of the parts above referred to, which are not shown herein, reference may be had to said Patent No. 2,239,023.

The present machine is provided with the usual series of type bar mechanisms. The invention is illustrated in this application as embodied in or applied to only one of these mechanisms since that is considered to be sufiicient to give a clear understanding of the invention. The type bar mechanism shown comprises a lever B pivoted at 8 to a hanger 9 secured to a semi-circular ring I suspended below the deck l2 on the carriage.

The type bar mechanism comprises a retractingspring M acting on the type lever, which operates to retract the lever and tends to retainthe lever in its normal position with a member carried by the type head in engagement with a semicircular buffer ring H5. The type bar mechanism further comprises an elbow lever l6 pivoted at l8 on a hanger l9 suspended from the deck l2, a link connecting the elbow lever with the lower end of the type lever, a sub-lever 22 piv oted on a bracket 24 extending upwardly from the deck, a link. 26 connecting the forward end of the sub-lever with the elbow lever, an intermediate'lever 28 pivoted upon a fulcrum bar 30 and connected by a link 32 with the rear end of the sub-lever '22 and a retracting spring 34 acting on the intermediate lever.

In the present machine, the intermediate lever is operated by power to impart the type impression strokes to the type lever. The power mechanism' for operating the intermediate lever comprises a radius bar 36 pivoted at 38. on a rod supported on the cover plate 40 of the type carriage, a transmitting link 42 connecting the radius bar with the intermediate lever, a driving link 44 having its lower end pivotally connected same about its pivotal connection with the radius bar in a direction to carry the pawl away from the fluted shaft, this movement being limited by an arresting plate 54. The driving link is swung in the opposite direction to engage the pawl with the fluted. shaft by means of a draft link 56 connected with the upwardly extending arm of a, key lever 58 pivoted at 60 on the carriage, said link having a shoulder arranged to engage a pin 62 on the driving link to swing said link into position to engage the pawl with the fluted shaft. During the downward movement of the driving link to actuate the type bar, the upper end portion thereof engages, at a point adjacent the end of the downward movement of the link, a contact plate 64, mounted on the supporting plate 66 on the carriage for adjustment toward and from the driving link. The engagement of the driving link with the contact plate limits the swinging movement of the driving link toward the fluted shaft and'causes the disengagement of the driving pawl from said shaft as said shaft continues its rotation and the type bar executes the last part of its type-impression stroke under momentum.

Certain of the type bars are provided with two types which are arranged to be brought alternatively into operating position in the manner commonin machines of the Elliott Fisher type. The type bar 6 is an example of such a type bar. The type bar and the type head shown in Figs.'1 to 4, inclusive, and the releasing and actuating. lever for said head hereinafter described have substantially the same construction, arrangement and mode of operation-. as'the cor- 4 responding parts illustrated and described in the patent to Foothorap No, 1,119,149, dated December 1, 1914.

Upon the outer end of the type bar 6 is pivoted, on n axis 68, a type head 10 upon which are mounted the types 12 and 14 in the angular relation shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 shows the type head'in normal position on the type bar with the type 14 in position to engage the work sheet at the end of a type impression stroke of the type bar. To place the type 12 in operating position, the type head is shifted to the position shown in the two lower dot-and-dash line illustrations of the type bar and certain associated parts in Fig. 2.

The movement of the type head on the type bar in a clockwise direction (Figs. 1 and 2) is limited by the engagement of a stop face 16 on the type head with the type bar 6, and the movement of the type head in a counter-clockwise direction is limited by the engagement of a stop face ill on the type head with said type bar. The engagement of these respective stop .faces with the type bar determines the operating positions of the types 12 and 14.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the machine is provided with mechanism for looking the type head in its normal position and for yieldingly holding said head in its other position with relation to the type bar, comprising a lever 80, pivoted at its inner end to the type bar. This locking lever consists of a strip of sheet metal sufiiciently heavy to maintain the same substantially from bending during the shifting of the type head. This lever is pivoted at its inner end, as at 82, to the type bar to swing toward and from the bar. The locking lever is preferably bent into the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and, at its outer end, is provided with a locking contact portion 84 extending at an angle to the adjacent portion of the lever and normally positioned to engage a locking face 86 formed on one side of a projection or tail 8'! on the type head. The lever 80 is pivoted to the time bar by means of a headed pin 88 fixed to the bar and engaging in a slot 90 in the lever, the head of the pin being spaced from the type bar by a distance sufficient to permit the lever to swing freely toward and from the type bar.

The lever 88 is acted upon by a coiled spring 92 connecting the same with a bracket or clip 94 attached to the type bar. The angle at which the coil spring 92 is placed with relation to the lever 80 is such that it tends to swing the lever toward the type bar and, at the same time, tends to move the lever longitudinally toward the axis of the type bar to maintain the lever longitudinally in position with the pin 88 seated in the inner part of the slot 98, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The clip 94 is preferably made of sheet metal and is provided with an opening at its end nearer the axis of the type lever through which the pin 88- passes and the pin is provided withv a shoulder 95 (see Fig. 4) to engage the clipand hold the same against the type bar to anchor the clip to the bar. The clip is formed with two fingers 86 which are bent around the type bar to hold the outer part of the clip to the bar.

In order to steady and guide the lever. 80 with relation to the type bar, the clip 94 is formed with two spaced wings 98 between which thelever is located, these wings being arranged to engage the edges of the lever. The lever Bll is formed withv shoulders 99. (see Fig. 3) for en.-

5 gagement with the wings "on the clip to limit themovement of the leverlongitudinallyaway from the axis of the type bar.

Th present mechanism includes a releasing and actuating lever I pivoted at I02 on the type head and having a cam face I04 forengagement with the out-turned end 84 of the lever 80- to release the lever from looking engagement with the-stop face 86 on the type head. The lever I00 is also formed with a stop lug or projection I06 arranged to engage. a stop face I01 on the type head and with 'an actuating arm I00 for engagement with the vertically adjustable semiring I09 to release and shift the type head. This arm also is adapted to engage the butter ring I as the type bar ap'proachesthe end of its return movement to-restore the type head-to normal position. The releasing and actuating lever I00, the vertically adjustable semi-ring I09 and the buffer ring I5 preferably'have substantially the same construction as the orresponding'elements illustrated and described in applicants Patent No. 2,334,464, dated November 16,

The mechanism above described has the following mode of operation, starting with the type bar in retracted position with the type head located on the type bar in position to project the type 14 into engagement with a work sheet supported on the platen 2 as shown in Fig. l and in full lines in Fig. 2. With the semi-ring I09 located in elevated position as shown in Fig. 1, out of the path of the arm I08, during the advance of the type bar, the type head is held in normal position on the type bar by the looking engagement of the out-turned end of the lever 80 with the stop face 86 on the tail of the type head and the type 14 is projected into engagement with the work sheet at the end of the downward movement of the type bar, the path of the type 14 being indicated'inFigure l by the dot-and-dash line, leading from said type. In order to shift the type head during the downward movement of the type bar from retracted position, the semi-ring I09 is depressed into the path of the arm I08 on the lever I00 as shown in Figure-2. This may be done by the means "of a manually operable key as shown and described in applicant's Patent No. 2,334,464. With the semi-ring in depressed position as shown in Fig. 2, during the early part of the downward swing of the type bar, the arm I08 on the lever I00 engages said semi-ring and the lever is swung with relation to thetype head about the pivot I02 in a clockwise direction, Figure 2. 3 During the first part of this movement of the lever I00, the cam' I04 swings the lever 80 out or engagementwith the locking face 86 on the type head and thestop projection I06 on the lever then engages the stop face I01 on the type head and the type head is swung upon its axis 88 to locate the type 12 in operative position. During the earlypart of this movement of the type head, the tail of the type head passes the outer end of the lever 80 and the lever, under the influence of the spring 92, thereafter swings back inwardly toward the type bar, thereby insuring the complete shifting movement of the type head. During'this latter movement of the lever, the outer end of the lever engages with the side or face of the tail of the type head opposite that upon which the locking face 86 is formed. Figure 2 shows, in the two lower dot-and-dash line illustrations, the relation of the lever 80, the type head, and the lever I00 after the shifting of the type head. "The type head is maintained in this position-with relation to the type bar by the lever 00 during the remainder of the advance movement of the type bar to bring the type 12 into engagement with the work and during the greater part of the retracting movement of the bar. Figure 2 shows, in a dot-and-dash line, leading from the type 12, the path of advance movement of said type after it-is shifted into operative position. The shifting of the type head and the movement of the lever I00 with said head diminishes substantiallythe distance of the outer end of the arm I08 from the axis of the type bar. Therefore, during the retracting movement of the type bar, the outer end of arm I08 clears the semi-ring I09. The head is shifted back into normal position by the engagement of the arm I08 on the lever I00 with the buffer ring I5 during'the last partof the retracting movement of the type bar.

' With this construction and arrangement of the lever 90 and the coil spring 92, the lever and coil spring may be readily applied to and removed from the type bar; 'In applying the lever to the bar, the clip 94 is first anchored to the bar by means of thestud 88, and the arms 96 are bent about the bar, the head of the stud being located in spaced relation'to the bar by the engagement of the shoulder 95 with the clip. The lever is then manipulated to engagethe stud 88 in the slot 90 in the lever and the coilsprin'g 92 is applied to connect the clip 94 and the spring in the mannershown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. The axis of the spring thus lies at an oblique angle to the 1 type bar such that the spring tends to swing the lever80 aboutits pivotal point 82 toward the type bar and also tends to move the lever longitudinal- 13? toward the axis of the type bar to maintain the pin 88 seated in the slot 90. I

? The locking lever mechanism shown and described in this application is relatively simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture and no elaborate expensive construction is required to hold the locking lever in place on the type bar. Also the application of the locking lever and actuating and controlling spring requires the expenditure of relatively little labor and time.

The coil spring employed to actuate the locking lever is less expensive to manufacture and has a much longer life than the leaf spring heretofore employed. I It is to be understood that the particular structure shown in the drawings of this applicationis merely illustrative of the invention and that the invention is not limited thereto but that it may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the claims.

A type bar mechanism similar, in certain respects, to the present mechanism, is shown and described in the copending application of Oscar W. Swanson, Serial No. 631,824, filed November 30, 1945.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention and having specifically described a construction embodying the invention in its pre -1 ferred form, what is claimed is:

1. In a typewriting machine, a type bar, a type head 'shiftablylmounted on the bar, types carried by said head and arranged to be shifted respectively into and out of operative position by the shifting movementof said head, a lever pivoted on said bar and having a slot in the inner end thereof, means carried by the type bar for engaging in the slot to support pivotally the lever and 7 a spring tending constantly to swing the lever 7 toward the head and thereby to hold the type head in Operating position with relation to the typebar. I

2. In a typewriting machine, 1 a type bar, a plural type head'shiftably mounted on said bar, types carried by said head,- a lever pivoted on said type bar for holding the head in operating position, cooperating means respectively on the inner end of the lever and on the type bar and interfittable by manipulation of the lever forremovably supporting the lever pivotally on the bar and a spring for holding the means on the inner end of. the lever seated with relation to the cooperating means on the bar and for tensionin the lever toward the bar.

3. In a typewriting machine, a type bar, a type head shiftably mounted onsaid bar, two types carried by said head and arranged to be shifted alternatively into and out of operative position by the shifting-movement of said head, a lever pivotlongitudinally to hold the means on the inner end of the lever seated in interfitting relation with the cooperating means on the bar.

4. In a typewriting machine, a type bar, a type head shiftably mounted on said bar, types carried by said head and arranged to be shifted respectively into and out of operative position by the shifting movement of said head, a pin mounted on said bar, a lever pivoted on the bar for holding the head in operative position with relation to the bar and having a slot at its inner end in which said pin is received to support pivotally the lever on the bar and a spring tending-to swing the lever toward the head andto hold thelever in-place with the pin seated in said slot.

5. In a typewriting machine, a type bar, a plural type head shiftably mounted on said bar, types carried by said head, a lever pivoted on said bar for holding the head in operating'position, a clip secured to the bar and having guides for engaging the sides of the lever, cooperating means on the lever and the type bar for pivotally supporting the lever on the bar so that the lever may be removed from the bar by manipulation of the lever and a spring connecting the lever and said clip and tending-do swing; the lever towardthe bar'and to hold the lever .in'place with relation to the bar.

6. In a typewriting machine, a type bar, a type head shiftably mounted on said bar, two types carried by said head and arranged to be shifted alternatively into and out et operative position by the shifting movement of said head, a lever pivoted on said bar for holding the head in either of said positions, guides carried b'yfthe bar for engaging the lever toguide the same during its pivotal movement, cooperating means on the lever and the type bar for pivotally supporting the lever on the bar so that the lever may be removed from the bar by relativedisplacement of the bar and lever and a' spring tendingfto swing the lever toward the head and to holdthe lever in place with relation to the bar. 7. Ina typewriting machine, a type bar, a type head shiftablymounted on the bar, two types carried by said head and arranged to be shifted alternatively into and out of operative position by the shifting movement of .said head, a lever pivoted on said type bar and removable from'the bar-by manipulation of the lever for holding the head in either of said positions, interfitting means carried respectively by the type bar and said lever and disengageable bymanipulation of the lever for. removably holding the lever in position on said bar, a coil spring tending constantly to. swing the lever'toward the head and thereby to hold the type head in operative position and guiding means carried by the type bar for holding the lever from lateral displacement during its movements toward and from the type bar.

8. Ina typewriting machine, a type bar, a type head shiftably mounted on the bar, types carried bysaid head and arranged to be shifted respectively into andout of operative position by the shifting movement of said head, a lever for holding the head in operative position with relation to the bar, cooperating means respectively on the inner end of the lever and on the bar and pivotally engaged by manipulation of the lever for removablysupporting the lever pivotally on the bar and a spring for maintaining the means on the inner end of the lever yieldingly in interfitting relation with the cooperating means on the bar and for tensioning said lever toward the bar.

9. In a typewriting machine, a type bar, a type head shiftably mounted on the bar, types carried by said head and arranged to be shifted respectivcly into and out of operative positions by the shifting movements of said head, a member mounted on said bar and having a part engaging said head and arranged to yield as the head isshifted from oneiposition to another for yieldingly holding the head in operative position on the bar and cooperating means respectively on the, member and bar and interfittable by manipulation of the member for holding the member removably in place on the bar.

10. In a typewriting machine, a type bar, a type head shiftably mountedon the bar, types carried by said head and arranged to be shifted respectively into and out of operative positions by the shiftingmovements of said head,a member mounted on said bar having a part engaging said head and arranged to yield as the head is shifted from one position to another for yieldingly holdingthe head in operative position on the bar and cooperativemeans respectively on the member and the bar and interflttable by manipulation of the member for holding the member removably in place on the bar comprising a slot in said member and projecting means on the bar for engaging in said slot.

I ELMER L. WISE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in file of this patent:-

'UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name, Date 840,122 Donning Jan. '1, 1907 879,815 Donning Feb. 18, 1908 1,119,149 Foothorap Dec. 1, 1914 1,544,146, Foothorap June 30, 1925 -1,618,075 Foothorap Feb. 15, 1927 the 

